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Oris Chairman Talks Swiss Watch Revival, China Slump, and India Growth
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Firstpost•08-10-2026, 13:11
Oris Chairman Talks Swiss Watch Revival, China Slump, and India Growth
- •Oris chairman Ulrich W Herzog discussed how he and Rolf Portmann saved the historic Swiss watch brand through a management buyout during the 1982 quartz crisis.
- •The brand made a pivotal shift to focus entirely on mechanical watches around 1992 and 1993, inspired by young Japanese buyers who appreciated traditional timepieces.
- •Herzog noted that while China's luxury market has dropped drastically over the last three years, India is catching up nicely, mirroring China's development from 15 to 20 years ago.
- •Oris currently operates an exclusive boutique in Chennai in partnership with Ethos and plans to open more standalone stores in the country.
- •The independent watchmaker continues to balance accessible entry-level models with in-house movements like the Calibre 400 to appeal to individualistic buyers.
Key Questions Answered
According to Oris chairman Ulrich Herzog, China was previously a very strong market for the brand, but it has dropped quite drastically over the past three years.
They decided on a management buyout because they recognized that the brand had a rich history since 1904 and believed that developing markets where Oris was popular still held good potential, despite the challenges of the quartz crisis.
In 1985, Ulrich Herzog learned that young Japanese customers with digital watches were actively seeking mechanical watches because they liked hearing them tick and winding them themselves, prompting Oris to phase out quartz models and go fully mechanical by 1992 or 1993.
